The Graduate School of Business Leadership Hosts Inaugural SBL Business Hub Seminar

The event, aimed at showcasing how the SBL can support and mentor small business enterprises, was attended by a diverse group of guests including alumni, entrepreneurs, business partners, the broader UNISA community and various other stakeholders.

Dr Colene Hind addresses a packed auditorium as she launches the SBL Business Hub seminar.

The SBL Business Hub is the brainchild of Professor Peet Venter, Dr Colene Hind and Dr Ireze van Wyk, who is partnering on the project from the College of Economics and Management Sciences.  This inter-college collaboration brings together a combined 40 years of teaching, research and industry experience in the fields of strategy, innovation, marketing and entrepreneurship.

To kick off this much-anticipated event, Professor Annemarie Davis, Professor of Strategic Management in the Department of Business Management at UNISA, gave an inspirational keynote address wherein she introduced the transformative work of the Inhlanyelo Hub, UNISA’s business incubator service. The Inhlayelo Hub harnesses the entrepreneurial aspirations of Unisa students, academics and alumni. It provides needs-based mentorship, funding support and smart on-site facilities and workspaces to its clients, thereby making conditions fertile for the birth of small business enterprises. The audience was enthralled by the success of projects such as the Drone Diva Programme, which trains young women in the skill of drone piloting, thereby giving them the technical skills and business acumen to take flight – in more ways than one! The keynote address was not only a demonstration of the success of UNISA’s Inhlayelo Hub. It was also a masterclass in the sourcing and efficient use of funding in a non-profit organisation.

The speakers’ diversity in expertise of the speakers ensured that the seminar catered for the various interests of the audience. This was evidenced by the numbers that filled up all the breakaway sessions with which people were spoiled for choice. The speakers included Magriet Engelbrecht who presented the Enneagram. This personality test can help a budding entrepreneur to understand their personality type and those of their team members. This knowledge can help to manage group dynamics, a characteristic of small businesses which is often overlooked but which can lead to the downfall of a fledgling business. Les Wiggill gave a riveting talk on the age-old – but no less relevant – skill of selling and sales. In an informative talk aimed at removing the anxiety caused by common mistakes in small business financial management, Tusani Mnyandu gave a talk on tax and accountancy matters. A popular session was that of Yoke van Dam, a behavioural change specialist who gave a robust and interactive masterclass on self-promotion and networking in the era of social media and artificial intelligence. These were but some of the exciting speakers that demonstrated the SBL Business Hub’s commitment to the empowerment and mentorship of small businesses.

Some of the information and tools showcased at the seminar.

The seminar attendees came from all corners of the SBL community and presented ideal conditions for robust networking and the exchange of ideas to take place. Kimberly, a UNISA alumnus, took time out of her busy schedule as a primary school teacher in the East Rand to attend the event as motivation to one day start her own small business.  Another attendee, a DBL candidate at the SBL who is also an entrepreneur and owns a petrol service station, had an overall positive experience at the SBL Business Hub event. On an impactful note, she indicated encouraging her 18-year-old daughter to apply and sign up for the Drone Divas programme. Ntshepi, an HR consultant who attended Magriet Engelbrecht’s presentation on the Enneagram, left feeling confident that the presentation would significantly enhance her interactions in the human capital space she operates in. Finally, Mr Sibanyoni, an insurance broker running a small business that deals in short-term insurance, medical aid schemes and life insurance, participated in Yoke van Dam’s paired exercises with much enthusiasm as he discovered innovative ways of self-promotion and networking, skills which would give him a distinct advantage in the highly competitive insurance industry.

Legitimacy is one of the conditions upon which social license to operate is granted to an organisation and refers to how an organisation adds value to society (Steyn & De Beer, 2012a:43). Judging by the robust and engaging discussions which took place at the seminar, it is safe to say that through the SBL Business Hub, small businesses now have access to expertise, resources and mentorship that not only can help start and grow small businesses but can also ensure sustainability in the long run. There is no more significant evidence of the SBL’s legitimacy than the ability to impact the environment within which it operates positively.

*Compiled by Thami Kaunda, Communications Specialist, UNISA SBL

If you would like to receive information about future events and other initiatives hosted by the SBL Business Hub, feel free to complete their Small Business Needs Survey by using the below QR code.